John W. Scherer VIDEO PROFESSOR Blog for August 26, 2005

Let's talk computing!

Sweepstakes winner announced. Modesto Schools win too!
I'll be in Modesto, California on Monday August 29th for two good reasons. First I'm awarding the grand prize in our July 4th Sweepstakes. Corlene Goff of Modesto will get the keys to a 2005 Chrysler 300. Corlene entered our sweepstakes while ordering our Excel Tutorial. And later in the day, I'll be donating $270,000 in VP Online Lessons to High School Students in the Modesto School System for the 2005-2006 school year. The students will be able to access VP Online from their computer labs at school, or from home if they have high-speed Internet access. To see all the sweepstakes winners click here.

To learn more about VP Online, just click here.

WiFi. Better left to private enterprise instead of government?
WiFi is a terrific way to compute while you're on the go. I use it often when I'm traveling. A lot of cities have grand plans about creating wireless networks for the citizenry. But many cities that have a tough enough time keeping the trash picked up on time are discovering that high-tech is highly challenging. And it's causing some local governments to step back and rethink what certainly is a good idea, but something else entirely to execute.

Hackers 1-Air Force 0
A nasty surprise for half the officers in the Air Force. Hackers snatched a lot of important and personal information for thousands of officers. And if a military system can be accessed so easily, think how vulnerable you could be.
Read more >

26 Minutes
An unprotected computer running Windows XP experiences an average "survival" time of 26 minutes on the Internet before hackers identify it as vulnerable, according to the SANS Institute, a cooperative Internet security organization. (Source: Christian Science Monitor) To read the complete article, click here.

Keep up-to-date on keeping your computer and your identity secure with our free information section on our website.
Visit: www.videoprofessor.com

Google: Noun, verb, now adjective?
Google continues to innovate, raise cash and make us a Google society. What's next for the search giant?

Digital Cameras. Which is right for you?
If you already don't have a digital camera, chances are you soon will. They're awesome and there's a huge variety to choose from in quality and price. So take your time, shop around and you'll find the right one for your needs and budget.

One of the great tools to get the most out of your digital pictures is Photoshop. Our team has created a super tutorial. In fact it won the prestigious Aurora Gold Award for its design and execution. Here are just some of the tutorials we offer to turn you into a digital picture superstar!
Visit: www.videoprofessor.com

Speaking of Digital Cameras
Most of you have seen the HP "Frames" advertisements. Most folks in the commercial business rate these spots among the best of the year. I agree. So how do they do it?
Read more >

Planet Earth-Find out exactly where "You are here" is!
This is an absolutely fascinating way to tour the country. It takes some patience because there are no state lines or boundaries. In other words, you first have to find out the general area of the country you live in, then slowly zoom in and find more detail. Some rural areas have less detail than metropolitan areas, but this is a fun tool to use with your kids. (Or vice-versa!)
Visit: www.flashearth.com

Off Topic Department

Profiles in Lack Of Courage
You may recall Ward Churchill; a Prof at CU-Boulder who called victims of the 9-11 attacks "Little Eichman's" among other things. Churchill also claimed to be of Indian heritage when he applied for his job at CU, allegedly to get an inside track using Affirmative Action. So far he hasn't been able to prove that except for an honorary certificate. He's also accused of plagiarizing several articles and other works for use in his own. All this and more stirred quite a ruckus, and CU launched an "investigation." What was supposed to take several weeks, took several months. The committee's conclusion? To appoint another committee. When that group is put together, it's estimated they'll spend another five months "investigating" as well.The fact Churchill is a fraud (1st Amendment applies to me too, Ward) has been shown in countless articles by some very distinguished journalists. But CU would rather sweep it under the rug. (Again) Attendance at CU, along with revenues is down this semester. I wonder why?


Le Garbage
Lance Armstrong's winning 7 straight Tour de France victories has upset no small number of the locals. Some French rag now claims Lance used an illegal drug in 1999, his first victory year. But as the Rocky Mountain News' Bernie Lincicome reports, where there's France there's sour grapes!
Read more >


Site o' the week
Ok, Yale is one of the world's top universities. But I had no idea they were into miniature golf! But I have to admit it's addictive!
Visit: http://omega.med.yale.edu/~pcy5/flash/miniputt.swf

My cyber-door is always open. Send me an e-mail at
CEO@videoprofessor.com

John W. Scherer
CEO and Founder
VIDEO PROFESSOR, Inc
Member: Denver/Boulder Better Business Bureau. Check out our report at
http://www.denverbbb.org/

John W. Scherer VIDEO PROFESSOR Blog for August 19, 2005

Let’s talk computing!
I certainly enjoy putting out my weekly blog. Like most bloggers, it’s a true learning experience as I experiment and communicate.

One thing I’ve discovered is the enormous number of articles on all things related to computing and technology. So I’m going to shift gears here a little bit, and share just a small sample of the informative articles out there on the web! Computing and technology are incredibly interesting and each week I’ll try and pick out some of the best ones for you to check out yourself.

-JWS

Vigilance paying off
You may have already read about the latest worm infecting computers this week. The good news is the infection rate is very low, especially when compared to past worms and viruses. Why? People are paying more attention and keeping their computers updated with the latest safeguards. That very good news.
Read more >

We maintain a special section on our website here at VIDEO PROFESSOR with current news about keeping you, your identity and computer safe. It’s free to anyone.

Don’t beat us. Join us!
Hackers are the bane of all us computer users, law enforcement agencies and the government. But some government agencies are finding out that an enemy can become an ally.
Read more >

High Speed Internet Access growing at HIGH SPEED!
More and more companies are competing with each other to provide affordable high speed Internet access. Consumers are the big winners as more choices are available and prices keep going down. We’ve noticed that trend with the number of people switching to our VIDEO PROFESSOR ONLINE learning. If you have high speed Internet access, you can stream our complete library directly to your computer for a very economical monthly fee. Over 35 titles are just a click away. No CD’s, just the best in computer learning right to your computer. And just like all our products, you can try it out free for 14 days with no obligation.

VIDEO PROFESSOR ONLINE is the future of computer learning, it’s a service we are now marketing to agencies of the Federal Government under our General Services Administration contract.

And we’ll have an exciting announcement involving VIDEO PROFESSOR ONLINE and a major school district for you shortly.

To learn more about VIDEO PROFESSOR ONLINE, just click here.

A tip o’ the hat to AOL
The good folks at AOL won a major lawsuit against a world-class spammer. So what is AOL going to do with the loot it won in the suit? Give it to customers in what they’re calling the AOL Spammer's Gold Sweepstakes. Prizes include bars of gold and even a Hummer. (You might need to sell one of those gold bars just to fill the Hummer’s gas tank!)
Read more >

AOL customers can enter by logging on to aolhummer.onlinepromo.com

Wheel of Fortune
You iPod owners are very familiar with that snazzy little wheel on the front of the unit. All you need is a thumb to enjoy all those tunes. Definitely something a company wants to patent! But in this case, you’ll be surprised who did!
Read more >

Good deal brings out the worst in people
I first heard about this story this morning. Seems a school district decided to sell some used laptops to local folks for just fifty bucks each. A heck of a deal. But it quickly turned into one heck of a mess! Next time they should try eBay!
Read more >

ICE: A life-saver in an emergency
This has to be the winner of our “best idea” award. As just about all of us have cell phones, emergency response pros recommend you have a special listing on your cell phone called ICE. It stands for “In case of emergency.” The phone number should be someone you trust to speak for you in case you’re in an accident or incapacitated.
Read more >

Off-topic: Why so little “we” and so much “me?”
Finally, Terrell Owens is one fine football player. Just ask him. He’s in a squabble with the Philadelphia Eagles. He signed a contract for a lot of money, so did the team and now they expect him to live up to his word. Terrell thinks otherwise. He wants more. Some say the Eagles’ need Owens and should cough up the extra cash. But to their credit, management is saying we have a deal, and if your word doesn’t mean the paper it’s written on, then stay home and watch. Good for them. Great teams have had great stars over the years, but for some sad reason, it’s becoming more and more about “me” instead of the team. I have no issue with anyone trying to make as much as they can in life, especially in a sport where the average career last around four years. But a deal is a deal, and if Terrell (and his agent) were smart enough to realize it, having a season that exceeds expectations brings in that much more money in commercial revenue. There is still plenty enough room for ‘we” in sports, life and anywhere else. Bill Williamson of NBCsports.com has some insightful commentary.
Read more >

Site o’ the week
If you’ve noticed the shipping department where you work is low on FedEx boxes, this might be the reason why. But not a bad solution when your apartment has to be absolutely, positively, furnished overnight!
Visit: www.fedexfurniture.com

My cyber door is wide open, so send me e-mails at CEO@videoprofessor.com

John W. Scherer
CEO and Founder
VIDEO PROFESSOR, Inc
Member: Denver/Boulder Better Business Bureau. Check out our report at www.denverbbb.org

Daylight Savings Blog Time

Peter Jennings 1938-2005
Long-time ABC News Anchor Peter Jennings died this week of lung cancer. He told viewers four months ago about his condition, speaking in a raspy voice brought on by the disease. He had a long and distinguished career. A long-time cigarette smoker, Jennings had quit, but picked up the habit again after the 9-11 attacks. This is a good opportunity to encourage friends who smoke, to quit. And to kids who think smoking is somehow “cool,” to never start. Dana Reeve, who inspired us all with her courage and support of her late husband Christopher Reeve, announced she has Lung Cancer. In this case, she never smoked at all. The American Lung Association and the American Cancer Society have excellent resources on their websites to help us all learn more about the disease.
Visit: www.lungusa.org
Visit: www.cancer.org

Welcome Home Discovery and Crew
Millions breathed a collective sign of relief as the Discovery Space Shuttle landed safely on Tuesday. Waived off a landing at Cape Kennedy due to weather, the shuttle appropriately landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California, still home to the folks who have the “Right Stuff.” The 14-day mission was stunner and a nail-biter. For NASA, the big question is “what’s next?” Because of foam breaking off the main tank during the ascent two weeks ago, the shuttle fleet is again grounded. And what is the follow-up to the shuttle program that is already scheduled for retirement in 2010? But for now, it’s mission accomplished to a very brave crew. NASA’s website has some spectacular pictures of the mission. And the hi-res pics make excellent screen shots for your computer.

President signs new Highway Pork, uh, Bill.
What’s in the new highway bill signed this week? And what part of the 286 BILLION does your state get? (Some call it pork)
Read more >

The winner of the “Doesn’t Have a Clue” award is…
…National Hockey League boss Gary Bettman. Just off the season that wasn’t, the league is allowing Todd Bertuzzi back to play. Bertuzzi as you’ll recall, is the player that blind-sided Colorado Avalanche player Steve Moore, slamming his head into the ice and breaking his neck. The NHL says Bertuzzi deserves a “second chance.” Moore may never get a second chance to play because of his injury. But wait…. there’s more! Rocky Mountain News Sports Columnist Dave Krieger weighs in.
Read more >

And the runner-up is….
…Major League Baseball. Apparently it’s ok for players to rough up folks like they do in hockey, get a slap on the wrist and then go right back on the field. No harm, no foul? Hardly.
Visit: msn.foxsports.com

Let’s talk about computing! Scamville, Nigeria
Scamming un-suspecting Americans is a cottage industry in a little town in Nigeria. As hard as it is to believe, people actually believe it when they get an e-mail telling them they’ve won a lottery, or selected to receive millions of dollars from an estate from someone they never knew or met. The real dose of reality hits when they look at an empty bank account instead.
Read more >

For the latest news you can use about such scams, viruses and attacks on your computer visit this special section on our website.
Visit: www.videoprofessor.com

Spamville, CO
A notorious spammer cuts a deal, and promises to behave in the future. I hope it’s true but will believe it when the check clears.
Read more >

21st Century Mischief
Leave it up to kids to find new ways, and technology, to get into hot water in school. Read more about the Kutztown 13!

Is it real or is it DreamWorks?
It wasn’t all that long ago that animated features were painstakingly hand-drawn, frame-by- frame by the great animators at studios like Disney and Warner Bros. The creativity remains, but now computer technology is taking the art form to a whole new level. And it’s only going to get better.
Read more >

Microsoft announces new security patches
90% of computers users use Windows-based systems. Windows is incredibly popular, a fact not gone un-noticed by hackers and other thieves. Microsoft just announced several new patches to keep you and your system safe.
Learn more >

Will extra sunlight mean tech woes?
Now for the tech impact of the highway bill. With it comes a change in Daylight Savings Time starting in 2007. Legislating some additional evening daylight was easy, but the impact may be entirely different. Seems a few of our gadgets could have some issues!
Learn more >

Site o’ the week
Here’s a fun way to learn a little bit about geography in a high-tech way!
Visit: landmark.mapsgame.com

My cyber-door is always open. Send me an e-mail at CEO@videoprofessor.com

John W. Scherer
CEO and Founder
VIDEO PROFESSOR, Inc
Member: Denver/Boulder Better Business Bureau. See our report at www.denverbbb.org

The Dog Blogs of Summer

Stem Cell Debate-Facts Needed
The debate over Stem Cell Research is once again under the spotlight as Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist broke ranks with President Bush, calling for federal money for research funding. The coverage since then has been all political, but little if any about the research itself, what it does along with the medical and ethical issues. It's incredibly complex, but we hope the media works harder to explain it to all of us living here along Main Street USA.

Ambassador John Bolton
Like it or not, he's our new guy at the United Nations. The politicians dillied and dallied, so the President acted and exercised his Constitutional Right to appoint Bolton. The U-N claims to be focused on reform. Maybe Ambassador Bolton can help. With the Oil for Food Scandal, nations with the worst human rights records in the world serving on the Human Rights Commission and a brewing scandal about re-modeling U-N Headquarters, (which we'll end up mostly paying for) things certainly can't get any worse.

"A good day in space"
Those were the words of Astronaut Steve Robinson after an un-planned, and never done before spacewalk to the bottom of the Space Shuttle to remove some filler material from between insulation tiles. Just another day at the office! Follow the mission at www.nasa.gov

Rafael Palmeiro: Steroids Timeline
March 17, 2005: "I have never used steroids. Period,"-Excerpt from testimony by Baltimore Orioles player Rafael Palmeiro, given under oath, before the United States Congress.

August 1, 2005: Rafael Palmeiro suspended for ten games by Major League Baseball for using steroids.

Here's some interesting Q&A on the subject from Tom Verducci of CNNsi.
Read more >

What's next for Rafael? Possible perjury charges from Congress.

Laptops-don't leave home without one
Here's a terrific article from the Chicago Tribune about the increasing numbers of colleges requiring students to have laptops. I was especially interested in the every last line, about the importance of students being able to actually use them properly.
Read more >

I get the opportunity to talk with people all over the country when I'm traveling or shooting infomercials. My constant surprise is hearing from so many people, including students that they discovered there is way more to computing that just sending e-mails or the Internet. And that's why we offer so many different tutorials on the ever-increasing amounts of software programs installed on those laptops the schools want you to have with you!
Visit: www.videoprofessor.com

The Internet: New Crystal Ball?
When they write the definitive history of mankind, it's likely the Internet will rank right up there with the invention of the wheel. The Internet is the equivalent of the industrial revolution, that's how much it's changed the way we think, shop, communicate and live our lives.
Read more >

Navigating the net is awesome, but for many it remains unexplored territory. Plus there are tips and tricks even seasoned pros might not know! Our Internet tutorial remains extremely popular for just that reason.

Prime (Rib) Time Gambling
In case you've ever been bored waiting in line at a casino buffet, here's a new way to keep your mind occupied and lose money faster than ever! Yep! Wireless gambling is coming soon to a casino near you.
Read more >

Santa Maria Foundation
Good corporate citizenship is important to us at VIDEO PROFESSOR. We support non-profit organizations of all sizes that offer computer training as part of their programs. One such group is the Santa Maria Foundation. They were kind enough to send us this picture of one of their students working with our Windows lessons! It made our day!














(Photo courtesy: Santa Maria Foundation)

Site o' the week
I have no other comment about this one other than GOOD LUCK!
Click here >

My E-Door is open 24/7. Send me e-mail at CEO@videoprofessor.com

John W. Scherer
CEO and Founder
VIDEO PROFESSOR, Inc
Member: Denver/Boulder Better Business Bureau. Check our report at www.denverbbb.org